Behind the Seams: Norrøna møre

"There were several of us who saw this enticing opportunity," says Jørgen Jørgensen, owner and leader of Norrøna.
"Many of our ambassadors in skiing and snowboarding, our RD&D Director Fredrik Lundberg, and I wanted to find a new sweet spot between the Norrøna lyngen touring collection and the Norrøna lofoten ski and snowboard collection. Not just because the lyngen products have become increasingly lighter and the lofoten products increasingly more robust, but also because we wanted to explore an entirely new design direction."

"What were you aiming for?"
"We asked ourselves a big and important question: can we create a completely new and compact collection that is both lightweight and durable – while introducing a new aesthetic design for touring enthusiasts? The answer is Norrøna møre."

Maybe we shouldrewind to RD&D Director Fredrik Lundberg’s first møre sketches and drawings at Norrøna House in Oslo – back in 2020. Or perhaps we should rewind to when Fredrik took some prototypes and visited ski ambassador Asbjørn Eggebø Næss at his home in Møre og Romsdal County in 2022.
"I wanted Asbjørn to have an important role in developing these new products," Fredrik explains.

"He’s an extremely skilled skier and mountain guide. Most of the time he ascends the mountains by his own power, but he’s happy to spend some days in the sidecountry as well. He has extensive and unique experience from the mountains – in all kinds of weather. Above all, he’s known for saying exactly what he thinks, and I appreciate that a lot."

In Asbjørn’s basement, outside the small town of Molde, the RD&D Director and skier could discuss details for hours. The next day, they would ski in the wild west coast nature and test new ideas and feedback.

"Fredrik is a great guy," says Asbjørn Eggebø Næss.

"He knows everything about materials and design. In addition, he´s an enthusiastic skier and backcountry tourer. For me and the other ambassadors, it was exciting to be involved so early in the design process. It shows me that Norrøna wants to put users at the center of the innovation process. And I’m very proud of the result."
Asbjørn is known for asking "why," so we posed that question directly to him:

“Why møre?”
"This collection solves a problem," Asbjørn replies.
"Møre has found a fine balance between weight, choice of materials, and function. Simply put, Norrøna møre makes skiing and snowboarding more comfortable without compromising on our need for lightweight products. That’s where the magic lies, in my opinion."
Asbjørn highlights the new softshell bib – the møre flex1 bib – as a prime example:

"This bib is tailored so well that it feels like you’re almost naked when you’re moving. It’s something about the soft fabric, the comfortable fit, and the room we’ve created around the thighs. Making a kick turn on the ascent – and skiing or snowboarding downhill – has never been more comfortable."
Asbjørn also talks about the bib's chimney effect, where heat rises and creates a pleasant body temperature on cold days. On warm days, you can vent heat using the side zippers.

"Some might buy the møre flex1 softshell bib as a second pair of pants for skiing or snowboarding," says Asbjørn. "But I can guarantee this bib will quickly become the go-to choice for everyone who owns it!"

Fien Van Zweiten is known for pushing the limits when skiing. The young Norrøna ambassador grew up in the Møre region on Norway’s west coast and knows the mountains like the back of her hand. This fall, she’s debuting her own ski film from the area.

"I was lucky enough to use Norrøna møre throughout the entire last season" she says.

"And I must tell you right away: I experienced a lot of bad weather this winter – including many rainy days. The GORE-TEX® products in the new møre collection are unique and kept me dry the entire time. That means a lot when you’re out for 14 hours straight!"

Fien’s new favorite piece is the Norrøna møre thermo60 aero200 Jacket.
"This is really two products in one," she explains.
"On cold days, you can wear it as a jacket. On warmer days – or if you want to save weight – you can zip off the sleeves and turn the jacket into a vest. This increases its versatility. Sometimes I wear the vest under a shell jacket, and other times I wear it over the shell. In fact, I use the møre thermo60 aero200 Jacket as either a vest or a jacket almost every day, whether I’m going to the store, walking around town, or just visiting friends."

Norrøna's product development organization has worked intensively on the new møre collection for three years now. As the collection launches worldwide, the whole organization feels immense joy.
"I believe this is a broad collection that will appeal to many”, says Fredrik.

“ It’s tempting to talk mostly about the softshell bib pants or the convertible jacket that can turn into a vest. But I also want to highlight the new Norrøna møre GORE-TEX® Jacket. This shell jacket is carefully developed for freeride and touring – and works perfectly for general skiing and snowboarding, mountaineering, and outdoor activities. The main material in this jacket is a 3-layer woven ePE GORE-TEX® fabric. The ePE (expanded polyethylene) membrane is a milestone in the GORE-TEX® responsible performance journey. The all-new GORE‑TEX ePE membrane is light and thin, yet strong, and it's almost PFC free with a reduced carbon footprint. That means under 50 PFAS parts per million. We use GORE-TEX® fabric because it’s the world-leading quality for durable waterproofness, optimized breathability and total windproofness."

"What are the key features of this jacket?"
"Simplicity and ease of use. That includes a helmet-compatible storm hood with one-hand adjustment, two mid-mounted pockets with YKK water-resistant zippers, asymmetric cuffs with velcro adjustment, open chest ventilation, an internal chest pocket, and a laminated stretch-woven hand gaiter. This jacket has a technical fit and strikes the perfect balance between the fitted silhouette of Norrøna lyngen and the more relaxed cut of Norrøna tamok. The fit is also a great option for enthusiastic splitboarders."

Jørgen Jørgensen keeps returning to the design and colors when talking about the new møre collection.

"Norrøna is perhaps best known for bold colors and strong color contrasts. In the møre collection, we’ve deliberately gone in a different direction. Here, we’re showcasing a more subdued and uniform color palette. When you see the møre colors in one of our stores, you might think they don’t stand out as much. But as soon as you see these products in their natural element – out in the snow – you’ll discover the power and aesthetics of these color choices."

"Who do you envision as the typical møre user?"
"I think møre will appeal to a wide variety of active users. But if I were to describe a specific user, I’d imagine a freerider who spends time both on lifts and on backcountry tours. It doesn’t matter if she has one or two planks on her feet. She likes style. She’s concerned about weight but still wants her clothes to be durable and withstand all kinds of weather. I imagine she appreciates our new color scheme and values all the technical features."
Jørgen’s own favorite is the new Norrøna møre octa Zip Hood.
"This is a hybrid midlayer with some wind protection. The hybrid fleece is developed for freeride and touring – and works perfectly for skiing and snowboarding, mountaineering, and other outdoor activities. We use Octa insulation in the front and top of the arms for excellent moisture management, warmth, and breathability. We use Aero200 because it offers some wind resistance and very good breathability. And we use Warm1 fleece in the sides, hood, back, and underarms for insulation, breathability, and stretch. I’ve grown very fond of this zip hood and use it year-round for all kinds of activities."

All four agreea that "møre" had to be the name of this brand new ski and snowboard collection:

"There’s something special about the Norwegian Møre region," says Fredrik.
"It’s something about the jagged mountains, the deep fjords, and all the skiing and snowboarding opportunities."

"I live here, so it was an obvious choice for me," says Asbjørn.

"I’m from Møre myself and forever grateful for growing up among these mountains," Fien says.

"It just had to be møre," says Jørgen.
"We already have the climbing collection trollveggen and the mountain biking collection fjørå from this unique region. With the skiing and snowboarding collection møre, it all comes together."

"You are not worried that møre will be hard to pronounce for skiers and snowboarders who aren’t from Norway?"
"No. Some will probably interpret the name as a variation of the English word ‘more.’ That’s perfectly fine. We could all use more skiing and snowboarding in our lives."